TLDR: These convinced me to sell my HD650 in search of a better at-home setup. Modify the Tri-flange tips if they give you problems. The included “nerd sheet” with curves and a hand signed certificate of channel matching is a very nice touch.

My headphone background: Started with Koss KSC75, then Vsonic VSD1S, Superlux HD668B, and finally Sennheiser HD650.

I travel a lot on airplanes, and my portable setup (Vsonic VSD1S and Fiio X1 1st Gen) worked ok but I’ve always craved better isolation. Normal earbuds do an okay job of cutting out engine/wind noise, but you always have to crank the volume up to enjoy your music.

Why I went with the ER4XR:

Recently I decided to improve my portable setup. Having an HD650 at home, I thought the PXC 550 might be a good idea, but I’m a bit of a purist and the noise cancellation aspect didn’t appeal to me, and also they are much bulkier than a set IEM’s which reduces portability.

I decided to try some Etymotic Research IEM’s after reading about their excellent isolation. The advertised 34-42 dB of isolation is even better than most earplugs.

Problems with initial use (and finally an “aha” moment):

I’ve spent some time trying to figure out the best tips to use. The ER4XR includes 4 sets of Tri-flange tips (2 pairs of small, 2 pairs of large), and 2 pairs of their foam tips (I’d categorize them as Large, but they should work in all ears).

The Tri-flange design did not work in my right ear. I could get a good seal in my left ear, but it was a bit painful.

The foam tips had good isolation, but having to compress them between your fingers added some inconvenience. I would prefer to just jam something in my ear and be done with it.

With the included options not being sufficient for my needs, I bought some Comply foam tips. I’ve used Comply tips before with my Vsonic earbuds, so I though the Medium size would work with the ER4XR. Since the ER4 go deeper into the ear canal than your normal earbud, there are different shapes and dimensions in play. Long story short my right ear gave me problems with isolation, so I switched back to the included Etymotic foam tips.

I read some reviews on Head-Fi about cutting off the smallest flange on the Tri-flange tips, so tonight I did that. It made an amazing difference! I think it’s a pretty common problem, having the tri-flange tips not seal well and create discomfort. With my particular ears, getting rid of that extra flange made all the difference. Now I can get a good seal on both ears, and the isolation is still slightly better than with the included foam tips. This is ideal for me, not having to roll the foam between my fingers, and still getting better isolation.

FINALLY, how do they sound???!:

The ER4XR sound so good, they’ve convinced me to dump my HD650. My only other “bright” pair of headphones was the Superlux HD668B which I still enjoy listening to, but they lack clarity. After listening to the ER4’s, it makes me realize what I’m missing with the HD650’s. The two headphones couldn’t be any more different; one being a bass-heavy open back over ear headphone, and the other being a neutral “jam it as far into your ear as possible” IEM.

To compare the two:

Sub-bass: both are similar, which says something about the ER4. Those few tracks with low enough rumbles to give most headphones problems, aren’t a problem. Mid-bass: HD650 has much more, but I like the ER4’s tightness (speed?) better. Mids: With the ER4 being very neutral, I think it wins here just because the mids aren’t hidden by bass. Highs: The ER4 wins hands down. It has sparkle, clarity, and all sort of other qualities that I’m not qualified to express. Soundstage: HD650 wins. Separation: ER4 wins. Clarity: ER4 wins.

As much as I love the HD650, I realize now how muffled and veiled it is. It lacks twinkle, excitement, accuracy, and just doesn’t sound accurate. The ER4 has all of that plus EXCELLENT isolation. They are great for airplane use. I think most reviewers would say the ER4 lacks a bit of mid-bass, and initially my ears thought so, too. After using them for a bit, my ears broke in and now the ER4 bass really blows me away with quality, and the HD650 to me is a muddy mess.

If anyone has a good recommendation to replace my HD650’s, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Being in a lower price range (at least with MSRP), I didn’t think the ER4XR would be that much better than my HD650. Considering their street price being very similar, I would expect more from the HD650 since it’s an open back over-ear design.